Veterans tournament attracts record entries

Veterans tournament attracts record entries BENDIGO Eaglehawk Badminton Association will host its largest-ever annual veterans tournament this weekend. Always a popular event on the state’s playing calendar, the Bendigo Veterans Badminton Tournament is fast approaching its 40th anniversary. This year’s tournament has attracted a record number of competitors, with 576 players from across Victoria headed to Bendigo. Association president Sam Daykin said the tournament would be played over two days with five venues fully-booked for the event. “We’ve got CMC (Catherine McAuley College) at Junortoun with their eight courts; La Trobe (University) with six courts, St Liborius and Weeroona College as well as our headquarters at Eaglehawk,” he said. “Players will be spread all over town, that’s for sure. “It’s always a great event; a lot of fun on and off the court and keenly contested.” Open to players 35 and over, Daykin was rapt to see record entries for this year’s tournament, believing it reflected the sport’s growth in popularity. “We are the ninth-largest participation sport in Australia now,” he said. “With numbers creeping up, there’s been over 20 new clubs open up in Victoria over the last 12 months. “They’re mainly in Melbourne, but the popularity is growing and people just want to play. “The sport is booming.” According to Badminton Australia, an estimated 440,000 play the sport regularly every week, across nearly 100 organised venues. Nearly all of the playing field for this weekend’s tournament will be out-of-towners, with just three Bendigo teams competing, in what will be a tidy boost to the city’s economy. “Obviously some will come here in their caravans and some will stay in motels and hotels,” Daykin said. “But we’d expect a bit of a boon for the restaurants and pubs on the Saturday night, and possibly the Friday night.” Preparations are continuing towards the biggest tournament the association hosts each year, the Yonnex Bendigo International challenge tournament from 7-11 October. It will be the first of five international tournaments hosted in either Australia or New Zealand within a seven-week span in the latter part of the year. “We’ll definitely see the best of the Australian competitors here and we’ll probably get some internationals ranked in the 50s, or as low as the 40s,” Daykin said. “It’s not an Olympic qualifying year, so it won’t be as critical this year. Next year will be the big one with players trying to get qualifying points. “But we will see some amazing badminton.”